Clutch



Sept 6, 1938- A. P. A. TEN BROEK 2,129,103

' CLUTCH Filed April 17. 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 6, 1938. A. P. A. TEN BROEK 2,129,108

CLUTCH Filed April 17, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 SePt- 6, 1938- Y A. P. A. TEN BROEK 2,129,108

CLUTCH Filed April 17, 1956 4 ShetS-Sheet 5 Sept. 6, 1938. A. P. A. TEN BROEK CLUTCH Filed April l7, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ffy Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES CLUTCH Alexander P. A. ten Broek, Kediri, Java,

Dutch East Indies Application April 17,

1936, Serial No. l75,006

In the Netherlands April 18,1935

3 Claims.

This invention relates to fluidic, i. e. pneu- .matic or hydraulic, clutches.

.The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this type of novel and efficient con- .A struction, capable of being easily controlled and taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1, the lower half ,being a sectional view on line II-II of Fig. 1, the clutch element being in declutching position. Fig. 3 is a sectional View, the upper half being on line III-III of Fig. Lland the lower half on line IIT-III of Fig. 4, the construction showing a pneumatic clutch in clutching position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, the upper half being on line IV-IV of Fig. 3 and the lower half on line IV-IV of Fig. 3, showing the pneumatic clutch in declutching position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the shifting valve.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of the modified form of clutch. 3Q The numeral I denotes a substantially flatsided casing composed of different parts suitably joined together and secured to a shaft la. Said casing encloses a hollow space having an oval cross-section and housing a cylindrical rotor 5 2 rigidly secured to a shaft 3 coaxial with the shaft la. The at side faces of the rotor 2 have a sliding t with the flat inner faces of the side walls of casing I. The outer diameter of the rotor 2 is equal to the minimum diameter of the aforesaid oval space. Consequently, the casing l and the rotor 2 conne two crescent-shaped chambers. The chambers of the clutch illustrated in Figs. l and 2 are filled with liquid. It may be noted, however, that the rotor of a hydraulic clutch need not have a diameter equal to the minimum diameter of the oval space. The outer diameter of the rotor 2 of the hydraulic clutch diagrammatically shown in Fig. 6 is slightly smaller than the minimum diameter of the 5. aforesaid oval space, so that the two crescentshaped chambers communicate with one another. The rotor 2 is provided with four radial slots ll extending through its full width and spaced 90 apart. Fitted in each of said slotsv is a pisf, tonl or' slide 5 adapted to reciprocate therein and,

(o1. 19a-5s) when assuming its extreme outward positions, to remain in sealing engagement with the inner face of the circumferential wall of the oval casing so as to divide the crescent-shaped chambers into four compartments 6, l, 9 and 9.

The pistons 5 are adapted to be yieldingly pressed against the inner face of the circumferential wall of .casing I so as to snugly follow said face when the casing and the rotor that is to say the driven and the -driving shaft are rotated relative to one another. If, for instance, the driving shaft 3 with therotor 2 with the pistons 5 is turned in clockwise direction relative to the driven shaft la. with the casing I, the volumes .orcapacities of the diametrically opposed compartments 9 and 8 will increase, while those of the remaining compartments 'l and 9 will decrease. It follows that the liquid pressure will decrease'in the compartments 6 and 8 and increase in compartments 'I and 9, so that a couple is produced which counteracts and iinally prevents rotation of the driven and the driving shaft relative to one another. If, however, the pistons 5 are retracted so as to be located entirely within their respective slots 4, the parts I and 2, and also the shafts la and 3 to which these parts are respectively secured, are free to rotate the one with respect to the other.

Screwed into each piston 5 are two inwardly projecting guide bolts Ill each encircled by a coiled spring II, the vlower ends of said springs bearing against a perforated bridge piece I2 adapted to be moved radially outwards within the slot 4 against the tendency of a third coiled spring I3. 'The boltsk Il] project through suitable bores in the bridge piece I2, with which they have a sliding lit, and each bolt is provided with an enlarged head adapted to bear against the bottom face of said piece Spring i3 `encircles a third guide bolt le screwed with its lower end into the wall of the rotor 2. The upper end of spring I3 bears against an enlarged head of bolt I4, its lower end bearingagainst the bridge piece I2 through the medium of a sleeve I5, which has a sliding fit with bolt M. and4 extends through a bore in member I2, towhichfit is suitably secured. The lower end I5 ofthe sleeve I5 is bifurcated, the prongs extending through apertures in the wall of the rotor 2 so as to radially project into the central space I 'l of the rotor hub. The free inner ends of the prongs carry a roller I8 adapted to cooperate with-the outer face of a cone I9 arranged for sliding movement over the shaft 3 but prevented by a key 29 from rotation with respect thereto.

If cone I9 is moved to the left (Fig. 2), the sleeves I5 and the bridge pieces I2 mounted thereon are thus forced radially outwards against the tendency of their respective springs I3. OW'- ing thereto, the pistons 5 tend to move radially outwards under the action of their respective springs II, until their outer faces yieldingly engage the circumferential inner wall of casing I. The device then assumes its clutching position.

When the cone I9 is retracted, i. e. moved to the right (Fig. 2), the pistons 5 with associate parts are urged inwards by the springs I3, whereby the casing I and the rotor 2 are de-clutched.

In order that cone I9 may be actuated as described, a second cone 2| is coaxially provided within a conical recess on the right hand side thereof. Screwed into the cone 2| are three rods 23, which are circumferentially spaced through 120 and project through a cover 22 of the casing I. The right hand side ends of said rods are secured to a ring 24 having a circumferential groove 25 for receiving the prongs of a fork (not shown), through which the ring 24 with associate parts may be moved to the left and to the right by means of a hand lever.

The cones I9 and 2| are rotatable with respect to one another. A ring 26 secured to the annular right hand side face of cone I9 serves to lock the inner cone 2| and prevent the same from moving out of the cone I9. The rods 23 as well as the shaft 3 are sealed with respect to the cap 22 by means of `stuffing boxes 23a and 3a respectively.

If the crescent-shaped chambers defined by the casing I and the rotor 2 are entirely lled with liquid, it would not be possible, owing to the fact that liquid is practically incompressible, for the pistons 5 to be moved outwards into them, unless special provision is made for allowing liquid to escape therefrom. To this end, the rotor 2 is provided with two diametrically opposed radial passages 2'I connecting said chambers with the central space I'I. Since these passages are diametrically opposed, the pressures obtaining at their outer ends are equal under all conditions. In the embodiment shown, the passages open into the compartments 6 and 8, and since space I'I also communicates, through the perforated bridge piece I2, with the slots 4, the pistons 5 can easily be moved radially inwards or outwards. During their outward movement, liquid will ow from the crescent-shaped chambers into the central space I1, and vice versa.

For the reason stated above, namely that the liquid is practically incompressible, it would also be impossible for the cone I9 to be shifted to the left, since the rods 23 cannot be forced into thc central space I l, which .is entirely filled with liquid. With a view thereto, a cylinder 32 communicating with said space and provided with a spring-loaded piston 33 is mounted on the cap 22, but it is Vto be understood that also other means may be provided.

The device illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is a pneumatic clutch. Since its construction is very similar to that of the hydraulic clutch shown in Figs. l and 2, it is not necessary to describe it in every detail. The crescent-shaped chambers here are lled with air or another gas instead of liquid, and they are also conveniently con nected with the central space 'I through the passages 27, as this connection facilitates the outward movement of the pistons 5. This, however, would result in an increase of the clearance space. To avoid this inconvenience, slide vthe side walls of the casing I to be provided with shifting valves 3| allowing air to enter into those compartments wherein, owing to increasing volume, the air pressure should decrease below a predetermined Value. Otherwise, and owing to the air from the compression compartments I and 9 gradually leaking away, after a short time none of the compartments 6, 1, 8 and 9 would contain a sufficient amount of air for producing a couple of the required magnitude, and the clutch would slip, i. e. the device would become inoperative. Thus, the snifting valves 3| have for their duty to keep the clutch filled with a sufficient amount of air.

'Ihe snifting valve 3| shown in Fig. 5 comprises a plug 34 adapted to be screwed into the side wall of the casing (Figs. 3 and 4). To allow air to enter into the chambers (in a direction from the right to the left in Fig. 5), holes 35, 36 are provided in the bottom of the plug 34 and in said side wall, respectively. The bottom forms a seat for a spring-loaded valve body 37, the coiled spring 38 of which encircles a projecting pin 39 of a plate 48, which serves as an abutment for said spring and is provided with holes 4I. Said plate is held "in its place by the plug 34. The valve body has radially projecting ribs 42 to form passages for the air.

The operation of the pneumatic clutch is as follows: If the cone I9 is moved to the left, the pistons 5 tend to move radially outwards and to divide the crescent-shaped chambers into four compartments 6, 'I, 8 and 9. The device then assumes its clutching position. By turning the driving shaft 3 with the rotor 2 in clockwise direction relative to the driven shaft Ia and the casing I, the volumes of the compartments 6 and 8 will increase, while those of the compartments 'I and 9 will decrease. Owing thereto the gas pressure will be reduced in the compartments 6 and 8 and increased in compartments 1 and 9, so that a couple is produced which counteracts and tends to prevent rotation of the driving and the driven shafts relative to one another. Since, however, the gas pressure in the compartments 9 and 8 will then be lower than the pressure outside the casing, the shifting valves of those chambers will open and allow air to enter. In that case the clutch will not fully slip, if, as stated above, the air from the compression compartments 'I and 9 gradually leaks away, as the compartments 6 and 8 are then lled with a sufcient amount of air to again produce a strong counteracting couple. It is obvious that the slip cannot be entirely avoided, but by means of the snifting valves it can be reduced to a minimum.

If -the pistons 5 are retracted by moving the cone I9 to the right, the shafts I a and 3 are free to rotate the one with respect to the other.

What' I claim is:-

l. A clutch comprising a driving shaft and a driven shaft coaxial therewith, a body fixed upon the driving shaft and a second body fixed upon the driven shaft, the one body being located within the other so as to define chambers having different cross-sectional areas in different radial planes and said chambers being lled with liquid and located in pairs the one diametrically opposed to the other, a hollow space centrally within the inner body, passages connecting said chambers with said hollow central space, radial slots in the inner body, pistons adapted to reciprocate in said slots and to fill up the cross-sectional areas of said chambers, resilient means for moving said pistons into and out of position for lling up said cross-sectional areas, and means for actuating said resilient means.

2. A clutch comprising a driving shaft and a driven shaft coaxial therewith, a body xed upon the driving shaft and a second body xed upon the driven shaft, the one body being located Within the other so as to define two chambers having different cross-sectional areas in different radial planes and said chambers beinglled with .gaseous iiuid and located in pairs the one diametrically opposed to the other, a hollow space centrally within the inner body, passages connecting said chambers with said hollow central space, radial slots in the inner body, pistons adapted to reciprocate in said slots and to ll up the cross-sectional areas of said chambers, resilient means for moving said pistons into and out of position for filling up said cross-sectional areas, spring-loaded valves adapted to close said passages, means for actuating said resilient means, and means associated with said actuating means for opening said valves.

3. A clutch comprising a driving shaft and a driven shaft coaxial therewith, a body fixed upon the driving shaft and a second body fixed upon the driven shaft, the one body being located within the other so as to dene chambers having diierent crossesectional areas in different radial planes and said chambers being filled with gaseous fluid and located in pairs the one diametrically opposite the other, radial slots in the inner body, pistons adapted t reciprocate in said slots and to iill up the cross-sectional areas of said chambers, resilient means for movin-g said pistons into and out of position for filling up said cross-sectional areas, means. adapted to maintain a predetermined minimum gas pressure in said chambers, and means for actuating said resilient means.

ALEXANDER P. A. TEN BROEK. 

